Filmmaker Aanand L Rai has opened up about the disappointment of his 2022 release Raksha Bandhan, starring Akshay Kumar. Despite its heartfelt message and a strong family-oriented narrative, the film did not perform well at the box office.
During his recent conversation with Bollywood Hungama, Rai shared his thoughts on the film’s reception and the lessons learned from it.
Aanand L Rai Admits Raksha Bandhan Plot Was Rushed
Reflecting on Raksha Bandhan, which explored the bond between a brother and his four sisters, Rai admitted that he was taken aback by the audience’s reaction.
He shared, “Honestly, I was also surprised that it didn’t go well with the mass audience. I guess it’s a lesson that maybe, as a filmmaker, I was trying to target a certain audience. I have realised that I should stop doing that. I had not done it before; I’ll never do it again.”
One of the main issues raised by critics and viewers was the film’s short runtime of just 1 hour and 50 minutes. Typically, family dramas of this nature tend to be longer, but Raksha Bandhan was heavily edited, which led to complaints that the narrative felt rushed.
Rai agreed with this feedback and admitted, “Yes. The audience got a feeling that the narrative was rushed. We always thought that audience ke paas patience nahin hai. But then again, it’s a lesson.”
When asked if there might ever be an extended version of Raksha Bandhan on OTT, much like how Batman v Superman gained a new life with its ‘Snyder Cut’, Rai smiled and said, “Not a bad idea!”
Now, Rai is focused on his next project, Tere Ishq Mein. This film marks his return to direction after Raksha Bandhan. Meanwhile, the director is also celebrating the success of Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba, the sequel to Haseen Dillruba (2021), which was released on Netflix in August 2024.
Filmmaker On Hasseen Dillruba Franchise
Rai is especially proud of this series, having believed in its potential from the very beginning. He said, “The day I heard Haseen Dillruba‘s script, I was very sure that it’ll have a very definite audience. I realised it makes for a great read for the duration of the train journey. Hence, I knew that it would work.”
While Haseen Dillruba 3 will follow the OTT release model, Rai stressed that he plans to bring his newer stories to cinemas
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